


Pockets of Sunshine

by Kaillingme (Setty94)



Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: (more of a twist on coffee shops), Coffee Shops, Fluff, M/M, Science Fiction
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-15 21:06:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16071344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Setty94/pseuds/Kaillingme
Summary: Jongin runs a shop that sells sunshine to people. Chanyeol becomes his favorite customer.





	Pockets of Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

  * For [](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts).



> This is for a lovely friend for her birthday! Happy birthday Bambi I love you lots and hope you had a wonderful day filled with love and joy! <3
> 
> It's also my first ChanKai so be gentle ^^

Pockets of Sunshine is a small family run shop off the corner of Fifth and Orange Avenue. The inside, much like the outside, is dark and tinged in the same purple and blues that blanket the rest of the world. There is a counter, with a hinge-top door separating employees from customers, a menu on the back wall with a neon purple line of lights around the edges and different types of sun rays for sale.

On the counter, there are two boxes of trinkets; little glowing sun figurines, and tiny star themed toys that light up when hit against a surface. Behind the counter, there are small shelves lined with different appliances, small servers, and a kiosk where the sun rays are chosen.

Jongin is standing behind the counter, checking the stock of sun rays and making sure everything is in working order. Several customers have already visited and are taking their allotted time in the Sun Rooms. And, so far everything is going well. Just peachy.

Running his fingers through shaggy sandy brown hair, Jongin sighs and looks around the shop. His parents haven't changed much of the decor since he was a kid, and that makes Jongin both nostalgic and have a growing desire for change.

The same chair he spilled his juice on when he was four is still there – the cushion has been flipped over to hide the stain, as is the coffee table where he carved his initials into the underside with a laser pen he stole from his dad when he was fifteen. He almost can’t believe it’s been that long and nothing has changed. It’s odd to him.

Jongin sighs. It's been painfully normal this season. The regular customers have come like clockwork and he has done his job day in and day out since his parents stationed him here. He doesn’t really complain about it much, but the monotony does get old after a while.

But so far, business has been its regular old self and Jongin is getting bored. Maybe his parents would let him add a few new features to the shop in the coming months to spice things up. Maybe they could get one of those old-timey juke boxes or a record player. Those were coming back into fashion now and with as vintage as everything else was in the shop, Jongin thought it would fit right in. 

Most sun shops follow the same recipe of having various types of sun rays for sale and a huge hall of Sun Rooms with whatever amenities the customer needed. But, what makes Pockets of Sunshine special is the fact that it is family owned, family provided, and has some of the highest quality sun rays in the whole region. The Kim family doesn’t dilute their sun rays with lightning like other places did. They simply use pure concentrated sun rays collected with the utmost care and offer the best prices. It’s all so simple.

Generally speaking, business is booming. They haven’t seen profits as high as they’ve been recently and the trend seems to be going up. However Jongin's late night shifts were considerably quieter than the ones his sisters ran. He spends most of his time checking the stocks, making sure the front area is clean, and playing with the little toys on display to pass the time.

The chimes sound as a customer walks in, causing Jongin to look up from his inventory list. He blinks for a minute, clearing the greenish haze masking his vision and plasters his best customer-service smile on his face.

“Welcome to Pockets of Sunshine, how may I help you?”

The young man that approaches the counter grins in response. His skin is pale in the dim lighting of the shop and his hair looks almost silver with a hint of a purple hue. Long, defined arms grace the counter’s edge as he leans in to take a gander at the menu behind Jongin, with his lips slightly parted. "Um..." he starts and the richness of his voice gives Jongin little tingles from the crown of his head to his toes.

Jongin stares at him as his eyes adjust and he barely has time to react before his heart starts thrumming in his chest at the speed of light. He stifles a gasp, however his jaw still drops as he followed the slopes of his face down his neck and resting on his clavicles for a beat too long before flicking his gaze back up to the man's face.

This is what Jongin needs. This kind of change. He clears his throat quietly, trying to gain control of his voice, but then the man looks at him.

“I’ll take a Midsummer’s Ray?” The man says with a deep voice. When their gazes locks, time stops for a moment.

Jongin blinks, trying to remember how words work, and then nods slowly. “Of course, that's our most popular package this season. That’ll be six hundred credits. I’ll take your payment first and then lead you to your room,” he says as he turns the screen towards the man, his pulse making his hands tremble ever so slightly. He’s never been so jittery before.

The silvery-haired man lifts his wrist to the screen, a small light flashing under his skin and a dialog pops up asking him to confirm the payment. He touches the screen, selecting ‘Confirm’ and then beams at Jongin, reminding him of all the trips he’d taken to space just to gather these rays.

“Alright,” Jongin says, blinking his eyes as if the man was too bright to behold. He lifts the counter and crosses in front of the man. “Right this way," he says, hoping his forced professionalism isn't too off-putting.

The man follows Jongin through a doorway covered with glittering beads, filled with dim rays of light. Ever since the SRM (Solar Radiation Management) went into effect, the surface has been striving to remember what the sun looked like. Little reminders like these beads were one, the small toys another, but the most obvious were the sun rooms themselves.

The two of them come to another set of doors lining a long hallway, some with green glowing words indicating they were occupied and others that were empty. Jongin stops in front of one of them clasps his hands in front of him. "Alright we're here. Since this is your first time, I'll walk you in and show you how it all works."

The man smiles even brighter and follows behind Jongin.

The sun room is a relatively normal looking room. There is a comfortable lounge chair in the middle of the room, large panels lining the walls and ceilings and a terminal on the wall.

Jongin guides the man to the terminal and presses the screen. "Here you can choose your setting. We have a wide array of settings for the Midsummer's Ray package. Most people like the beach setting, but my personal favorite is actually the backyard setting," Jongin explains.

The man nods. "I'll take the backyard one then," he leans forward and squints at Jongin's nametag. "...Jongin?"

Jongin laughs nervously. "Yeah, Kim Jongin, sorry I should've introduced myself earlier." He rubs the back of his neck in embarrassment.

The man laughs a little too. "No problem, I'm Chanyeol." He pauses and looks around as the setting begins to materialize.

The panels on the walls and ceiling fill with a familiar scene of a homey backyard with lush green grass, clear skies, neighboring houses, and a pool in the distance. As the scene unfolds, the room begins to warm. Jongin smiles as he also looks around. It feels so calming and nostalgic. It leaves him wondering if people used to enjoy their backyards like this before the SRM.

"Wow," Chanyeol gasps. He looks a bit like a puppy as he spins in awe and it makes Jongin’s lips twitch into a soft smile. He’s really cute.

Chanyeol glances at him and Jongin can’t hide the fact that he was staring at Chanyeol and not the scenery causing a blush to flower over his skin. It’s almost as warm as the sun's rays filtering in through the panels. "Yeah it's really nice isn't it?"

Chanyeol tears his eyes away from Jongin seemingly reluctantly and then nods. "It's very quaint. I see why you like it. So what do I do here?"

"Oh! You can lounge in the chair and soak in the rays. Some people prefer to wear one of the complementary robes -- don't worry they are replaced after each patron -- and others simply nap or relax for the two hours. You can realistically do whatever you want so long as it doesn't break the terms of service," Jongin says.

"Could I ask you to stay with me?"

Jongin's mouth goes dry in shock, but he shakes his head no. "Unfortunately, I cannot. I have to run the front lobby."

"Shame," Chanyeol replies. "I'll just have to settle for becoming your next regular then, won't I?"

The same warmth spreads across Jongin's cheeks and he glances at his feet for a moment before smiling again. Today has definitely been very different indeed. Jongin's heart speeds up as he thinks about what to say next. He isn't sure if he can flirt with a customer, and he doesn't want to break any rules, but it was harmless right? And getting more regulars was always a good thing.

"If you do that, I might be able to sneak off and take a package with you."

"That sounds enticing," Chanyeol grins as he sits down in the lounge chair. "Wow these are really soft."

"Yeah..." Jongin trails. He glances around the room one last time and then sighs. "Okay I need to get back, but I have to tell you all the boring stuff. So, you’re set up for two hours. If you’d like to extend your time, just press the button in the room and you’ll be charged for another two hours; same price. If you’d like to leave early, please keep in mind that the room runs for two hours no matter what and there aren't any refunds. If your visit is unsatisfactory in any way, do not hesitate to contact me through the terminal. I will come by to help you in any way,” Jongin says robotically.

"I'm-" Chanyeol starts and then shakes his head. He smiles at Jongin and then nods. "I'll let you get back to work, thank you."

"My pleasure," Jongin replies and then slips out the room.

He stands in the hallway for a moment, catching his breath and waiting for his eyes to adjust. The warmth of the room is leaching away with every second, but he still feels butterflies and a flush flooding through him. Chanyeol is actually really cute and he had been flirting really hard with Jongin back there. Maybe there would be something more?

Jongin casts his gaze to the door and nods again before shuffling back to the front lobby.

 

It goes like this every time Chanyeol returns to Pockets of Sunshine. Jongin gets frazzled and stumbles over his words while Chanyeol laughs and gives him looks of curiosity. They flirt a bit, tip-toeing the line of professionalism, but nothing really comes from it other than Jongin feeling shy and Chanyeol giving him those blinding smiles that rival the actual sun itself.

By the half-year mark, Jongin is used to seeing Chanyeol waltz in each night, purchase a Midsummer’s Ray and disappear for two hours into the Sun Room. Sometimes he 'calls for help' just to get Jongin to visit and they share more small talk about their daily lives. It's nice, Jongin thinks. Really nice and he looks forward to Chanyeol's visits. He even queues up his favorite sun room when he starts his shift in his eagerness.

Chanyeol's visits bring a level of anticipation for work. Before, Jongin almost dreaded work but now, now he can't wait to clock in. He still goes about his usual business, cleaning the areas, checking the stock, but now he finds himself watching the door out of the corner of his eye and jumping every time the door chimes. He can’t believe he is actually waiting for Chanyeol.

Today is another day that goes differently for Jongin. They have less customers than usual but that's normal for early December. People stop venturing outside as temperatures drop regularly below freezing each day. It's impossibly cold now with the atmosphere blocking out the sun.

Jongin really only has vague memories of being a child when he could feel the warmth of the rays blessing his skin in the winter. It brings a longing to him, a longing for a world where the sun was in the sky. It is a feeling that everyone has and the reason why shops like his family’s exists in the first place.

Chanyeol enters in the last two hours of Jongin's work day. From the looks of it, he seems to be his last customer of the day, so Jongin's smile is tinged with the excitement of possibly getting to take that package with Chanyeol for once.

They'd been planning it for the past week or so, but each time, Jongin had been so busy he barely had time to even walk Chanyeol to his sun room.

"Hey," Jongin greets, practically brimming with excitement.

"You look chipper," Chanyeol replies, sauntering up to the counter. He rests on his elbows and gives Jongin one of his patented heart-stopping smiles.

"You're the last customer of the day," Jongin grins, also leaning on the counter. He is so close to Chanyeol's face that they both sort of freeze, eyes mapping each other's features and lingering here and there.

"Oh! In that case, I'll order something different," Chanyeol says, eyes flicking up to the menu and then back to Jongin.

"Changing it up? Nice," Jongin says stupidly. He curses his lack of finesse but Chanyeol seems to think it's cute from the way he smirks at Jongin and leans up from the counter.

"Which one haven't you tried yet?" Chanyeol asks, bringing his index to his lips and biting it.

Jongin wishes he was Chanyeol's finger in that moment. He has to force himself to look away and clear his throat. "Um I've tested them all, but the Winter's Horizon is really nice."

"I'll do that one then," Chanyeol beams and it stops Jongin's world all over again.

“Cool, I’ll get that set up,” Jongin says as he starts pressing buttons on the terminal. He pulls up Chanyeol's order with ease and switches out the packages easily with a few transitions and then claps his hands together. "All set."

“How much is it?” Chanyeol asks, leaning on the counter, again. He plays with one of the small miniature suns on display and the device turns on, flashing bright light in the dimly lit room.

Jongin stares at the way Chanyeol seems to glow in awe. He's never seen anyone look so brilliantly ethereal in the lights from the toy. He fumbles with his words, trying to get the feeling of his dry mouth to go away, but nothing remedies it. He is transfixed by Chanyeol, by the way he ethereally glimmers. It’s an almost warm glow, like a dull yellow that emanates from his pores.

But just as Jongin is lost in the way Chanyeol is shining, it seems that Chanyeol is lost as well. He stares just as much, soft lips parted, and dark brown eyes glittering and reflecting tiny versions of Jongin.

They’re frozen like this for a moment, neither saying a word until the toy’s light goes out and they are returned to the dim, hazy purple that envelopes the store. Jongin's mind boots back up as he blinks furiously, adjusting to the darkness. He clears his throat and wets his lips as Chanyeol sort of just melts into the counter, hands nearly brushing against Jongin's torso.

"You're really cute," Chanyeol sighs.

Jongin's face heats up then.  He babbles aimlessly for a few moments before taking a deep breath and steadying himself. It’s just Chanyeol ( _ just Chanyeol? Who was he kidding? Chanyeol was the reason why his heart keeps skipping beats! _ ) and he’s been here countless times before. Granted the possibility of the two of them being in the same room enjoying the sun’s rays was never realistically on the table until now but yeah, that’s why Jongin is freaking out so badly.

It is then that Jongin closes his eyes, hoping that image of Chanyeol glowing is burned in them forever, and sighs.

“It’ll be eight hundred credit, but since you are a loyal customer, I can knock off about three hundred credits,” Jongin says after a while. He holds up his wrist and the dialogue that pops up displays an employee’s discount.

When Chanyeol lifts to pay, their hands brush and Jongin jerks back, eyes wide and clutching his hand to his chest. Chanyeol’s cheeks redden and he quickly pays and then bites his lip. “Sorry. You’re the only person I seem to shock like that.”

“Why?” Jongin asks, more to himself than to Chanyeol as he lifts the counter and stands in front of doorway filled with hanging, glowing beads.

“Some say it’s a sign of soulmates,” Chanyeol says and parts the beads for Jongin to walk in first.

“Soulmates?” Jongin says with quiet awe. Maybe they were destined and that was why Chanyeol wandered into his store and not one of the chains down the street.

“Yeah, sparks fly when you touch. Fireworks and bells when you kiss. And when you...you know, the mark shows,” Chanyeol explains rather candidly.

“Huh,” Jongin says as they reach the door. He hadn’t really heard of soulmates described that way and when it dawns on him what Chanyeol was insinuating his cheeks heat up.  _ Oh. _

“It’s just an old wives’ tale,” Chanyeol offers after an awkward chuckle. He looks really cute when he is embarrassed.

Jongin bites his lip and reprimands himself for being so weird about it and then smiles. “I’m excited for you to try this one out.”

“Oh?” Chanyeol questions as they hover by the door. 

Neither of them enter quite yet. Jongin knows it’s because they’ll be in there by themselves and out in the hallways is a lot safer than being alone with no prying eyes. Jongin isn’t sure if  _ anything _ would even happen, but the way his heart is ramming in his chest tells him that he  _ wants _ something to happen. After another few moments, Jongin touches the knob and gestures for Chanyeol to enter.

“We should probably head in, yeah?”

Chanyeol avoids his gaze with a shy smile and nods. “Um, y-yeah.”

Awkwardly they shuffle around each other through the door and then just stand there in the blank white room before Jongin comes to his senses. He gives Chanyeol a nervous little smile and chooses a nice park setting for the Winter’s Horizon package, with trembling fingers. Nothing  _ has _ to happen. He just  _ wants _ something to.

As the scenery begins to appear in the room, Jongin begins to feel a lot calmer. The room warms slightly, like the sun’s rays on a crisp autumn day and a gentle breeze wafts through (caused by the fans along the walls) creating the perfect facsimile of an actual day where the sun was in the sky. On the ground, the tactile floor grows into lush patches of grass and along the walls, images of trees with yellow, red, and orange leaves sway slightly.

“Wow,” Chanyeol says softly. He kneels to touch the grass and then gives Jongin a wide-eyed look. “It feels so real? Like the turf they use on the indoor fields, but softer?”

Jongin beams. “It’s one of our patents. We have the only tactile floors in the business. They’re pricey but we make up for the costs with package prices.”

Chanyeol nods and sits down on the ground, leaning on his arms and turning his face upwards. His eyes are closed and a soft smile adorns his face. Jongin stares, and it kind of surprises him that he just now notices that Chanyeol’s hair is in fact the lightest shade of purple not silver. He watches the way his hair flows with the breeze and his hand twitches. Chanyeol’s hair looks really soft.

Slowly, Jongin joins him, sitting a few feet away from Chanyeol out of nerves. He adopts the same position, leaning back on his arms, and tilting his face up as the he soaks in the rays. It feels nice to just sit back and enjoy the Winter’s Horizon. Usually when he tests them out, it’s only for a few short minutes, but as the time ticked on, Jongin found himself really relaxing.

They chatted idly between the breezes and sighs. Jongin learns that Chanyeol is finishing up school to become a music teacher and that he teaches kids on the side to make some extra credits – credits that he spends here at Pockets of Sunshine. It makes Jongin almost feel guilty, but Chanyeol reassures him that he  _ wants _ to spend his extra credits here.

“But why?” Jongin asks, leaning closer and realizing that they had moved next to each other. He doesn’t remember sifting closer to Chanyeol, but now their hands are a hair's breadth away and he desperately wants to brush his pinky against Chanyeol’s.

“Because I get to see you,” Chanyeol offers sheepishly.

Jongin looks at him, taking in the way Chanyeol is sneaking a glance at him in the corner of his eye. He reaches over and boops his nose. “You’re welcome to just visit. You don’t have to buy a package.”

Chanyeol touches his nose, like he can’t believe that just happened and grins to himself before replying. “But then I’d just be the guy that visits, not your favorite customer.”

“Who said you’re my favorite customer?” Jongin teases.

Chanyeol nudges Jongin with his shoulder. “Isn’t it obvious? You always have my room set up for me before I even get here.”

Internally, Jongin is panicking, but outwardly, he says, “That’s because you’re predictable.”

“Or I’m your favorite customer,” Chanyeol repeats. He does this thing where he winks one eye while smiling and Jongin swoons a bit.

“Okay you win,” Jongin laughs. 

Their hands touch, and Jongin looks down to see that Chanyeol has crawled his fingers over Jongin’s and laced them. And it just feels right. Like his fingers had always been meant to be there. Maybe the stuff he said about being soulmates was true? Only one way to find out…

Jongin flicks his gaze up to Chanyeol’s eyes and then to his mouth. After a second he glances back up at his eyes and then holds his breath. Kissing a customer had to be against the rules. But technically, Jongin was off the clock. So maybe if he just–

“If you don’t kiss me, I’m going to kiss you,” Chanyeol breathes.

Jongin nods and closes his eyes, waiting. It turns out that Chanyeol has really soft lips. Really soft lips and he’s a great kisser, because Jongin gasps in surprise when he feel the light pressure of teeth pulling at his bottom lip.

Kissing soon turns into making out on the ‘grass’ and there is nothing that compares to it in Jongin’s life. Feeling the warmth of the sun’s rays on his back, the heat of Chanyeol beneath him and the gentle breeze that ruffles their hair – yes, Chanyeol’s hair is as soft as Jongin thought – makes Jongin never want this moment to end.

So maybe the kiss didn’t set off bells in his head or send fireworks into the backdrop of his mind, but kissing Chanyeol feels amazing and to Jongin that is all that matters. He nips along Chanyeol’s jaw and then sits up, smiling down at him. He is the reason why Chanyeol’s lips are plump and swollen, the reason why there is a flush to his face and neck. And Chanyeol is the reason why he is smiling, the reason why his heart feels so light and fluffy.

“I like you,” Jongin says.

“I know,” Chanyeol laughs. “I like you, too.”

Fingers lace between Jongin’s and he stares at them, the way his deep honey colored skin contrasts with Chanyeol’s. It looks nice. 

“What are you doing tomorrow?” Chanyeol breaks the silence.

Jongin blinks, still not quite sure if he’s dreaming or not. He lightly touches his lips and then smiles. It is real. “Um, working?”

“And after that?” Chanyeol prods. He gives Jongin’s hand a squeeze.

“Going home and sleeping probably,” Jongin says lamely. But it was true. 

“How does dinner...with me, sound?” Chanyeol grins lazily. He looks so boyish that Jongin’s heart flips.

“Sounds way better than my usual,” Jongin replies. He is somewhere on cloud nine right now.

Chanyeol opens his mouth to respond, but it is at that moment that the room shuts off, and they’re left in a barren white expanse. Silence follows but Jongin breaks it with a giggle that Chanyeol then echoes. He hasn’t felt bright and cheery ever. It’s almost as if Chanyeol brings his own sunshine with him wherever he goes. 

As the two of them stand up and exit the room, Jongin bumps Chanyeol with his shoulder and beams up at him. “I just wanted to thank you.”

“For what?” Chanyeol says as they pass through the beads.

Jongin knows it’s cheesy, but he says it anyway. “For being my pocket of sunshine.”

And it was true. In this world lacking sunlight, Chanyeol brought a certain kind of brightness with him.

This time, Chanyeol boops Jongin’s nose. “Maybe you should capture me then.”

Jongin gives him a lopsided grin. “Something tells me I already did.”


End file.
